GeForce GTX 280 vs Radeon R7 A370

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 280 vs Radeon R7 A370 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 280 vs Radeon R7 A370: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 280

2008

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R7 A370 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
335.6% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.0 vs 8.6 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌136% higher power demand at 236W vs 100W.

Radeon R7 A370

2015

Why buy it

✅26.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $500 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 334.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.6 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 236W, a 136W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R7 A370 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 26.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 280 instead at 1,285 vs 1,281, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 280 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R7 A370 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $500 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 334.2% (8.6 vs 2.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 A370 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 280 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 280 vs Radeon R7 A370 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce GTX 280

The GeForce GTX 280 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 602 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 236W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,285 points. Launch price was $649.

Radeon R7 A370

The Radeon R7 A370 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 975 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,281 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 280 scores 1,285 and the Radeon R7 A370 reaches 1,281 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 280 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon R7 A370 uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 240 (GeForce GTX 280) vs 1,024 (Radeon R7 A370). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 280) vs 1.997 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 A370).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon R7 A370
G3D Mark Score	1,285	1,281
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	240	1024+327%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6221 TFLOPS	1.997 TFLOPS+221%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80+25%	64
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 280 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R7 A370 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon R7 A370
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 280 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 A370 carries 512 MB. GeForce GTX 280 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 280 and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 A370. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GTX 280) vs 512 KB (Radeon R7 A370) — the Radeon R7 A370 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon R7 A370
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 280 draws 236W versus the Radeon R7 A370's 100W — a 81% difference. The Radeon R7 A370 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 280) vs 350W (Radeon R7 A370). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin vs None.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon R7 A370
TDP	236W	100W-58%
Recommended PSU	550W	350W-36%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin	None
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	85	—
Perf/Watt	5.4	12.8+137%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 280 came in at $649, while the Radeon R7 A370 launched at $149. On MSRP, Radeon R7 A370 was 77% cheaper ($500 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.0 (GeForce GTX 280) vs 8.6 (Radeon R7 A370) — the Radeon R7 A370 offers 330% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 A370 (2015 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon R7 A370
MSRP	$649	$149-77%
Performance per Dollar	2.0	8.6+330%
Codename	GT200	Trinidad
Release	June 16 2008	June 18 2015
Ranking	#802	#467

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